Wolfsburg: Autostadt, More than a Car Museum
Germany with a Teen: 10-Day Itinerary, Tips & Things to Do
After leaving Hamburg in our rental Cupra, Jack and I drove approximately 3 hours south on the autobahn to Wolfsburg, home of AutoStadt. We spent a quick night at a Premier Inn, whose purple decor oozed Temu vibes, but was entirely clean, serviceable and included a decent breakfast. (During trips, I try to balance “wow” hotels like the PierDrei in Hamburg with mid-priced options like the Premier Inn to make our budget stretch further.)
After breakfast, we headed across the street to explore Autostadt. Autostadt, which recently celebrated its 25th anniversary, is rather hard to explain and like many of my favorite stops in Europe, it was an experience rather than an attraction.
You look carefully and you can see the cars inside
Autostadt was built back in 2000 to be a combined showroom, theme park, auto-terrain driving course, museum AND visitor center! It showcases not just Volkswagen, but also Audi, Porsche, SEAT, Škoda and Lamborghini with a little Bugatti and Bentley on the side, throughout its sprawling campus and multiple brand pavilions.
You may not have heard of Autostadt, but you’re probably familiar with its most recognizable buildings: the AutoTürme; AKA the twin car elevators full of “ready-to-deliver” vehicles.
We entered in the visitor’s building, purchased our tickets and spoke with a guide to determine the best route. There were so many options to consider, including but not limited to:
Zeithaus Museum
Indoor and outdoor playgrounds
Car and motorcycle driving experiences, including a car “terrain park”
Brand pavilions, highlighting each brand
Several on-site restaurants and cafes
Spots to park your own VW camper van!
There was even an attached Ritz-Carlton hotel, which needless to say, we did not visit, but it appeared busy.
Here’s a view inside the visitor’s center. Since it was right before Easter, there was a giant Easter egg that visitors could paint. Jack and I grabbed a map and headed outdoors to the Zeithaus Museum.
Zeithaus translates literally to “time house” and highlights the global evolution of the automobile, beginning with a replica of the 1886 Benz Motorwagen. While I didn’t get a photo of that car, I did take a lot of other photos that you can see in the gallery below.
The interior design of the museum was incredibly intentional. Mirrors on the ceiling allowed you to see the vehicles from so many different angles (especially nice for the convertibles) and the wall decor made my photos look instantly much cooler. Three floors and an open layout made it easier to imagine seeing these cars in their natural “habitats.”
One featured car was the millionth Mini to roll off the assembly line. In the 1960s, Minis were starting to hold their own in international races like Monte Carlo, beating the long-term winners with their sporty handling and speed. Apparently, it was also one of the first compact cars that was stylish, not just inexpensive and could comfortably seat 4 adults because of its sideways engine.
Take a second look at the black objects against the white wall. It’s really hard to tell from this photo, but they were auto parts, hung as giant mobiles. Everything was intentionally designed.
After leaving the Zeithaus, we wandered through the Autostadt grounds and visited most of the brand pavilions; our favorites were Cupra and Porsche. Previous to our trip planning, I had never heard of Cupra, but since our trip was car focused, I knew our rental car had to be up to snuff. One option that kept coming up was Cupra and since it was the same price as a stuffier (and typical VW), I chose that make. It falls under the overall VW brand and was designed to fit the niche between VW and Audi consumers. We LOVED our Cupra and I’m a little sad that they’re not widely available in the US… yet.
The Cupra pavilion was amazing, my favorite part was the red, textured exterior wall. As we got closer, I realized that it was created from Cupra side mirrors! (If you look closely, you can see Jack in the closet mirror.)
The swooping lines of the Porsche pavilion (left photo) reminded me of the curves of the famous 911 and the gray, utilitarian concrete contrasted perfectly with the colorful Porsches inside. Like I said — everything at Autostadt was intentional!
After admiring the spinning Easter egg disco ball near the entrance, we were greeted with this quote by Ferry Porsche, the man who designed the first Porsche.
“In the beginning I looked around but couldn’t find the car I dreamed of, so I decided to build it myself.”
Each pavilion including this one, featured a few cars as well as historical exhibits, photos and videos. I spent more time absorbing the experience rather than taking photos, but I’ve listed a few below. The overall theme in the Porsche pavilion was cheerful and slightly cheeky.
We could’ve spent all day exploring Autostadt. I really wanted to take one of the all-terrain driving lessons, but you had to be proficient in German and I was worried that my shaky German would deteriorate under pressure! I was very jealous when we saw a pickup truck slowly navigating a simulated river — maybe next time if I can maintain a longer DuoLingo streak.
After a quick stop at the main building for lunch and to pickup some souvenirs, we headed south on the Autobahn towards the fairytale village of Rothenburg ob Tauber.
All in all, Autostadt was an excellent addition to our auto and tech themed trip and I’d go as far to say that I’d appeal to far more than just car enthusiasts — especially families. If Jack had been younger, we’d definitely have spent time at the outdoor playground or the kiddie go-kart track. Since we visited just before Easter, the grounds were decorated for the season and many of the displays rotate throughout the year.
It’s hard to explain exactly what Autostadt is because it isn’t just a museum, theme park, showroom or visitor center. Somehow, it’s all of those things at once. We arrived expecting cars and left talking about architecture, clever advertising, unusual souvenirs and German tortes. For us, it turned out to be one of the most memorable stops on our trip.
Coming soon: Fairytale towns with a teen!